Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW07120’

ABSTRACT

A new Poinsettia plant particularly distinguished by its compact, V-shape plant habit, strong stems, good branching and pink bracts is disclosed.

Genus and species: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Variety denomination: ‘NPCW07120’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofpoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘NPCW07120’. The newcultivar is the result of an induced mutation in the poinsettia plant‘NPCW02044’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,618) made in the year 2005 inStuttgart, Germany.

Plants of ‘NPCW02044’ were irradiated with x-rays in Stuttgart, Germanyin 2005. The treated plants were grown in Stuttgart, Germany, and werepropagated by shoot tip cuttings. The resulting plants were screened forpositive mutations and examined during the flowering period in winter2005/2006. Among these plants, a pink-flowered plant was selected andasexually multiplied for further examination in April 2006.

The new cultivar was created in 2005 in Stuttgart, Germany and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart,Germany over 6 generations. ‘NPCW07120’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The present invention has been foundto retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Europe onFeb. 9, 2007. ‘NPCW07120’ has not been made publicly available more thanone year prior to the filing of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Stuttgart, Germany.

-   -   1. A pink bract color;    -   2. A compact, V-shaped growth habit;    -   3. Strong stems; and    -   4. Very good branching.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new poinsettia plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich is an overhead view of the plant and shows bracts, flower buds,and the foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can bereasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. Thephotograph is of a whole plant about months old grown in a greenhouse inStuttgart, Germany, in November of 2007.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘NPCW07120’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inStuttgart, Germany. The plant history was taken on 4-month-old plantswhich were planted as rooted cuttings in 12-cm pots and were pinched inweek 33. The plants were grown in a greenhouse under natural light.Color readings were taken under natural light in the greenhouse. Colorreferences are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Euphorbiaceae.        -   Botanical.—Euphorbia pulcherrima (Willd. Ex Klotzsch).        -   Common name.—Poinsettia.-   Parentage:

X-ray induced mutation of the red-colored poinsettia plant ‘NPCW02044’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,618).

-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Shrub, self-branching, triangular.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Upright, compact V-shaped growth            habit; very good branching.        -   Height (from soil line to the top).—20.0 cm to 25 cm.        -   Width.—20.0 cm to 30.0 cm.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 20 days.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 55 days.        -   Keeping quality.—About 25 days.-   Branches:    -   -   Average number.—4 to 6.        -   Length.—20.0 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.0 cm to 4.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—30.5 cm to 1.0 cm.        -   Stem color.—Upper: RHS 143A. Lower: RHS 143A and RHS 183A.-   Leaves:    -   -   Quantity.—8 to 15 per branch.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Size.—Length: 4.0 cm to 10.0 cm. Width: 2.0 cm to 7.0 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Lobes.—Slightly lobed.        -   Color (mature leaves).—Upper surface: RHS 139A. Lower            surface: RHS 137B.        -   Color (immature leaves).—Upper surface: RHS 144B. Lower            surface: RHS 143C.        -   Texture (both surfaces).—Smooth.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: RHS 139A. Lower surface: RHS            139D.        -   Variegation.—None.        -   Leaf petiole.—Length: 2.0 cm to 4.0 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm to            0.3 cm. Color: Upper surface: RHS 139A. Lower surface: RHS            137B. Texture: Smooth. Aspect: Horizontally directed, leaf            blades slanting somewhat downward.-   Bracts:    -   -   Number per inflorescence.—6 to 8.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Lobes.—Slightly lobed.        -   Size.—Length: 7.0 cm to 10.0 cm. Width: 4.0 cm to 6 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Bract Color (both surfaces).—RHS 58C.        -   Vein color (both surfaces).—RHS 58C.        -   Bract Petiole.—Length: 1.0 cm to 3.0 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm.            Color: RHS N66C to RHS N66D.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Blooms from November to January.        -   Inflorescence type.—Medium size, flat with the bracts mostly            horizontally directed, in the center a tight cyme with            medium size cyathia.        -   Average number of inflorescences.—4 to 6.        -   Lastingness.—About 4 to 5 weeks with no dropping of bracts.        -   Diameter.—15.0 cm to 20.0 cm.        -   Height.—2.0 cm to 5.0 cm.-   Cyme:    -   -   Cyme diameter.—1.5 cm to 2.5 cm.        -   Cyathia number.—4 to 7 per inflorescence.        -   Cyathium.—Shape: Ovate. Diameter: 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. Length:            0.4 cm to 0.7 cm. Color: RHS 143C.        -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 143C. Length: 0.1 cm to 0.2 cm.        -   Nectar cups.—Number: One per cyathium. Size: Up to 0.3 cm            wide. Color: RHS 14C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: 5 to 10 per cyathium. Shape: Ovate.            Filaments: Color: RHS 58C. Length: 0.25 cm. Pollen:            Quantity: Moderate. Color: RHS 9A to RHS 12A.        -   Gynoecium.—Present. Pistil number: 1 per cyanthia. Pistil            length: 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. Stigma shape: Two-parted (forked).-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed so far.-   Disease and insect resistance: The new poinsettia plant ‘NPCW07120’    is especially resistant to Botrytis. No particular insect resistance    is observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘NPCW07120’ differs from the parental cultivar ‘NPCW02044’ (U.S. PlantPatent 14,618) by having pink instead of red bract color.

‘NPCW07120’ differs from the commercial cultivar ‘490 Pink’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 8,817), by having less vigor, a longer response time andsmaller foliage than ‘490 Pink’.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant as shown anddescribed herein.